Ranking of Countries by Level of Social Progress

The Social Progress Index is a key tool for assessing the level of societal well-being in different countries around the world. Developed under the guidance of Michael Porter in 2013, this index measures achievements not by economic indicators but by quality of life and levels of social development. It is based on a combination of data from public opinion surveys, expert assessments, and statistical information from international organizations.

The assessment of countries using the index incorporates over 50 indicators grouped into three main categories. The first group includes basic human needs such as access to food, housing, healthcare, and safety. The second category covers the foundations of well-being, such as education, access to information, and health levels. The third category measures the opportunities for personal and civic freedoms.

Social Progress Index rankings for countries in 2024

Rank		Level of social progress	Happiness level
1	Norway	90.74	7.32
2	Denmark	90.54	7.59
3	Finland	90.46	7.80
4	Switzerland	90.26	7.24
5	Iceland	89.54	7.53
6	Sweden	89.42	7.40
7	Netherlands	88.97	7.40
8	Germany Freelance visa Work visa The Blue Card The Chance Card Study visa Career Counseling Career support	88.72	6.89
9	Japan	88.19	6.13
10	Canada	88.17	6.96
11	Austria	88.05	7.10
12	Australia	87.83	7.10
13	Ireland	87.69	6.91
14	Luxembourg	87.48	7.23
15	New Zealand	87.26	7.12
16	Belgium	87.22	6.86
17	South Korea	86.47	5.95
18	Estonia	86.16	6.46
19	United Kingdom	86.13	6.80
20	France	86.07	6.66
21	Spain Visa Digital Nomad Startup Visa Study visa Financially Independent Residence Permit	85.35	6.44
22	Italy Visa Digital Nomad Study visa	85.23	6.41
23	Czechia	85.19	6.85
24	Portugal Visa Digital Nomad Financially Independent Residence Permit Freelance visa Study visa Startup visa	84.75	5.97
25	United States	84.65	6.89
26	Malta	84.52	6.30
27	Slovenia	84.19	6.65
28	Singapore	83.76	6.59
29	Lithuania	83.71	6.76
30	Cyprus	83.18	6.13
31	Israel	83.17	7.47
32	Latvia	82.46	6.21
33	Greece	82.44	5.93
34	Croatia Visa Digital Nomad	82.32	6.13
35	Slovakia	81.29	6.47
36	Chile	80.78	6.33
37	Costa Rica	80.65	6.61
38	Uruguay	80.27	6.49
39	Poland	80.17	6.26
40	Barbados	79.6	-
41	Argentina	78.64	6.02
42	Hungary Visa Digital Nomad Business Residence Permit	78.21	6.04
43	Romania	76.89	6.59
44	Bulgaria Business Residence Permit	76.81	5.47
45	Serbia Business Residence Permit	75.8	6.14
46	Trinidad & Tobago	75.58	-
47	Mauritius	75.44	5.90
48	Armenia	74.78	5.34
49	Montenegro Visa Digital Nomad Business Residence Permit	74.64	5.72
50	Georgia	74.43	5.11
51	Moldova	74.19	5.82
52	Ukraine	74.17	5.07
53	Albania	74.12	5.28
54	Malaysia	74.08	6.01
55	Kuwait	74.06	-
56	Panama	74.02	6.27
57	Jamaica	73.48	5.70
58	North Macedonia	72.74	5.25
59	Russia	71.99	5.66
60	Ecuador	71.75	5.56
61	Belarus	71.49	-
62	Brazil	71.26	6.13
63	Bosnia & Herzegovina	71.23	5.63
64	Suriname	71.22	-
65	Kazakhstan	71.21	6.14
66	Mexico	70.84	6.33
67	Peru	70.7	5.53
68	United Arab Emirates	70.7	6.57
69	South Africa	69.95	5.28
70	Colombia	69.83	5.63
71	Thailand	69.8	5.84
72	Tunisia	69.77	4.50
73	Dominican Republic	69.76	5.57
74	Sri Lanka	69.22	4.44
75	Cape Verde	69.01	-
76	Paraguay	68.96	5.74
77	Vietnam	68.18	5.76
78	Bhutan	68.05	-
79	Maldives	68.02	-
80	Oman	67.7	-
81	Philippines	67.46	5.52
82	Jordan	67.32	4.12
83	Kyrgyzstan	67.23	5.83
84	Mongolia	67.21	5.84
85	Bolivia	67.15	5.68
86	Fiji	67.02	-
87	Indonesia	66.67	5.28
88	Turkey Visa Digital Nomad	66.59	4.61
89	Lebanon	66.48	2.39
90	Qatar	66.47	-
91	Uzbekistan	66.12	6.01
92	Bahrain	66.09	6.17
93	Botswana	65.89	3.44
94	China	65.74	5.82
95	Algeria	65.59	5.33
96	Guyana	65.54	-
97	Palestinian Territories	65.19	4.91
98	Ghana	64.8	4.61
99	El Salvador	64.42	6.12
100	Morocco	64.04	4.90
101	Saudi Arabia	63.89	6.46
102	Iran	63.72	4.88
103	Azerbaijan	63.26	-
104	São Tomé & Príncipe	62.49	-
105	Gabon	62.18	5.04
106	Namibia	62	4.63
107	Honduras	61.17	6.02
108	Nicaragua	60.23	6.26
109	Guatemala	60.21	6.15
110	India	60.19	4.04
111	Nepal	59.39	5.36
112	Timor-Leste	58.92	-
113	Egypt	58.73	4.17
114	Venezuela	58.62	5.21
115	Kenya	57.96	4.49
116	Senegal	57.7	4.86
117	Iraq	56.82	4.94
118	Turkmenistan	56.75	-
119	Bangladesh	56.06	4.28
120	Tajikistan	56.05	5.33
121	Cambodia	55.71	4.39
122	Benin	55.59	4.37
123	Tanzania	54.87	3.69
124	Gambia	54.68	4.28
125	Malawi	54.29	3.50
126	Libya	54.28	-
127	Côte d’Ivoire	54.01	5.05
128	Nigeria	52.97	4.98
129	Lesotho	52.9	-
130	Solomon Islands	52.4	-
131	Rwanda	52.18	-
132	Zimbabwe	52.17	3.20
133	Comoros	52.11	3.55
134	Zambia	52.07	3.98
135	Syria	51.98	-
136	Togo	51.58	4.14
137	Myanmar (Burma}	51.46	4.37
138	Cameroon	51.4	4.97
139	Pakistan	51.32	4.56
140	Laos	51.17	5.11
141	Sierra Leone	50.48	3.14
142	Burkina Faso	49.83	4.64
143	Djibouti	49.39	-
144	Uganda	49.34	4.43
145	Eswatini	49.19	-
146	Liberia	49.03	4.04
147	Mozambique	48.27	4.95
148	Papua New Guinea	48.12	-
149	Ethiopia	47.43	4.09
150	Madagascar	47.07	4.02
151	Mali	46.93	4.20
152	Angola	46.87	-
153	Guinea-Bissau	46.65	-
154	Mauritania	46.6	4.72
155	Equatorial Guinea	46.58	-
156	Haiti	45.42	-
157	Sudan	45.41	-
158	Niger	43.14	4.50
159	Burundi	42.91	-
160	Congo - Kinshasa	42.7	3.21
161	Guinea	42.41	5.07
162	Yemen	39.08	-
163	Afghanistan	37.34	1.86
164	Somalia	35.85	-
165	Eritrea	34.85	-
166	Chad	34.69	4.40
167	Central African Republic	32.39	-
168	South Sudan	30.65	-
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Top 10 countries with the highest level of social progress

Almost all the leaders in the top ten in terms of social progress are the states of Scandinavia, Northern and Central Europe. Norway is currently in first place (90.74 points in the ranking). Norway ranks first due to its high level of well-being, unconditional human rights and an internationally recognized health and education system. The economy is based on natural resources, but sustainable technologies are also actively developing. The country has a developed social sphere that supports citizens and helps to maintain equality of opportunity.

The second leading country in terms of social progress is Denmark (90.54), with a high level of social services and an active human rights policy. And Finland is in third place (90.46), followed by: Switzerland (90.26), Iceland (89.54), Sweden (89.42), the Netherlands (88.97) and Germany (88.72).

The Northern European idyll is broken by Japan (88.19), in which citizens also live at a fairly high level, despite challenges such as an aging population. An effective health and education system, as well as a high degree of security, ensure social progress, although there are problems with economic inequality.

And at the end of the top ten citizenship is Canada (88.17), known for its inclusive human rights—oriented policies. The country is proud of its health and education system, and the universal availability of social benefits.

Top 10 countries with the lowest level of social progress

The lowest level of social development is observed in South Sudan (30.65 points in the rating). The State has long been plagued by civil conflicts, which has led to the collapse of the health and education systems. Economic problems are exacerbated by the lack of infrastructure, which makes living conditions extremely difficult for the population.

The second place in the anti-rating is occupied by the Central African Republic (32.39 points). There is a very low level of access to education and health care, and the rights of citizens are practically not protected. Chad is in third place (34.69 points), characterized by extreme poverty and a complete lack of infrastructure.

Also among the outsiders are Eritrea (34.85) with a critical lack of rights and freedoms, Somalia (35.85), Afghanistan (37.34), Yemen (39.08), Guinea (42.41), Congo-Kinshasa (42.7) and Burundi (42.91). All of these countries have experienced or continue to experience military conflicts, harsh authoritarian or militarized Government, and extreme poverty and inequality.

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